My Approach
Some people find their way to therapy in the middle of a hard season. Others come because they sense that the life they’re living doesn’t quite match the life they feel capable of. Whatever brings you here, I believe healing is absolutely possible, particularly with courage, commitment and engagement from both of us.
I approach therapy with a deep reverence for what it means to sit with another person in their most vulnerable moments. That requires safety and trust, which can take time to build. I don't see my role as fixing what's wrong; I see it as helping you get curious through asking good questions and leading you through practices that help you notice and understand aspects of yourself that you might not see on your own.
I work primarily from an Internal Family Systems (IFS) framework, which is an approach that doesn't pathologize any part of you, but instead brings curiosity and compassion to the patterns that have been hardest to change. IFS understands the human psyche as beautifully complex, with different parts of us holding different experiences, beliefs, and protective strategies. Beneath every pattern that holds you back is a part of you that has been trying, in its own way, to help.
When trauma is part of your experience, I integrate EMDR and the FLASH Technique alongside IFS, which work gently but powerfully with the nervous system to process what words alone sometimes cannot reach. And when building new skills feels important, I draw on tools from ACT, and DBT, which offer practical, evidence-based strategies that support lasting change in how we relate to our thoughts, emotions, and our lives. No matter the approach, what remains constant is the quality of presence and the depth of care I bring to every session.
Who I Work With
In general, I love working with people who are ready to look beneath the surface to uncover and shift patterns that have been standing in the way of the life they truly want for themselves. Often this means those who have tried other approaches and are looking for relief that comes from genuine growth, not just symptom management alone. I enjoy helping people who are interested in relating to their experience with more compassion and learning how to be the fullest version of themselves.
Over the years, I've worked extensively with a few populations close to my heart. For nearly a decade I've held a contract with the University of Washington Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA) to serve the mental health needs of collegiate athletes, and I take student referrals directly from the UW Health and Wellness Center. I also have a strong interest in supporting physicians, residents and other medical professionals within the community given my previous social work career at UWMC. Closer to home, I bring both clinical grounding and personal understanding to parents navigating the particular exhaustion and love of raising children with complex needs.
Background
I have spent over twenty years doing this work across a range of settings, from the University of Washington Medical Center and the VA Puget Sound to public schools and private practice. That breadth has given me a deep understanding of human struggle across the full spectrum of life experience. I hold an MSW from the University of Washington and previously served as a clinical faculty member at the UW School of Social Work, where I supervised masters-level clinicians seeking licensure. I have been in private practice with Cedar Tree Counseling Services since 2017.
What I offer
Individual counseling for adults (18 and over) in the following areas:
I draw from the following clinical perspectives:
Individual Clinical Supervision
“We have the power to create our lives from the inside out.” — Sharon Salzberg
“Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.” — Viktor E. Frankl